By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
It’s the final dress rehearsal for the Young Performers Theater production of “Once Upon a Mattress,” and the excitement is building toward opening night.
The “Shy” cast of “Once Upon a Mattress” perform the final scene during a rehearsal Wednesday at Odess Theater. The show opens Friday. (Sentinel Photo)
“I really want to do the show,” says Zia Allen, who was first out of the costume room in her shiny black and red court jester’s costume. It’s been a long week, but Allen and her fellow actors are still full of energy Wednesday night.
“I’m ready – let’s go!” she says.
Allen is one of dozens of teens in the “Shy” cast that will stage the full Broadway production of the 1959 musical, which plays 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. A second, shorter version – featuring the “Sensitive” cast – will be presented by middle school and elementary-age kids 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. All shows are at Odess Theater on the SJ campus.
The musical is based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale “Princess and the Pea.” The show opened off-Broadway 60 years ago, and launched Carol Burnett’s career – and gave a bump to Sarah Jessica Parker’s adult career in the revival. In this production, the actors will be accompanied by live music, provided by Joe Hauer, a Milwaukee-based professional pianist.
It’s the first time two different versions of a show have been presented, with the cast divided by age.
“We wanted to try that split,” said musical director Rhiannon Guevin. “This was a good show for that. The older version has some more mature themes and it gives our older kids a chance to tackle more mature content than they’ve been able to do with a younger cast.”
With the older cast, Guevin and director Zeke Blackwell have been able to incorporate more advanced acting and singing lessons.
“With the younger kids, most can’t read music, and some have never been in a play,” Guevin said. “Going with the pace of the students has been really nice.”
“The division of ages worked out well,” agreed Blackwell. “We’ve been able to meet the students at their level. We’re doing more complicated harmony and more advanced choreography with the older kids, and with the younger students we’ve been able to polish what they’re doing.”
The show also gives the middle school students the chance at lead roles.
The musical is a classic, with memorable tunes like “Shy” and “Sensitivity,” slapstick comedy, ballads and a few dances.
“I like the overall story of it,” said Sitka High freshman Isabel Carter. “It’s a good way to have an adaptation of ‘The Princess and the Pea.’”
The show includes kids from all of Sitka’s schools, including Mt. Edgecumbe High, Sitka High and Pacific High. Newcomers are always welcome.
Ana Karmun, from MEHS, said she was looking for something that would make her final year of high school “memorable,” so decided to try her first play.
The main challenges for her have been making room in her schedule, and learning to sing.
“The first week, my voice was gone,” she said. “That was something I struggled with.”
The directors have had challenges, too, mainly with helping develop comedic skills, and dealing with outdated material that is no longer appropriate.
“The main challenge is comedy,” Blackwell said. “It’s hard; it requires precision, practice and development of a sense of timing.”
Some of the material had to change as well. Scenes in the script of the king chasing women around the castle “just aren’t funny,” Blackwell said.
“Maybe it was funny in the ’50s, but it’s definitely not anymore,” he said. “We asked the kids, ‘do we want to present this as funny?’ The answer was no.” (The king instead will chase butterflies around the castle, which gets a big laugh at dress rehearsal.)
The show also raised a number of questions about the characters and their motivations, and gender roles, in the context of today and the past. One of the final songs is about marriage, and the princess’ message that she won’t be happy until she is a bride.
“We talked to the actors, about how to deal with that,” Blackwell said. “It’s not a bad thing to want to be in love. But do we believe the message, and if we don’t, what do we do?”
The kids who spoke to the Sentinel said the show is definitely a comedy, but also has a good message: “You shouldn’t judge people based on your first impression,” Allen said.
Tickets to the show are $10 for general, and $5 for youths (5 and under are free). They are available at Old Harbor Books, the door and online at fineartscamp.org.
